Vermont is in the northeastern part of the United States. New Hampshire borders Vermont to the east, Massachusetts is to the south, and New York lies to the west. Another country, Canada, borders Vermont to the north. Part of the border Vermont shares with New York lies in the middle of Lake Champlain, with half of the lake belonging to each state. The Connecticut River forms Vermont’s border with New Hampshire. Vermont is the only New England state without an ocean border. If you look at Vermont on a map, you will see it is roughly triangular in shape. The state is 157 miles (253 kilometers) long. At the Canadian border it is 90 miles (145 km) wide. The southern “point” of the triangle is the Massachusetts border, which is only 42 miles (68 km) wide. Vermont’s land has changed over the centuries due to glaciers, or huge sheets of ice, covering it and then slowly melting and receding. The Green Mountains were probably much higher before the glaciers wore them down more than 10,000 years ago. Today Vermont’s landscape is incredibly varied. It has tall mountains and lush valleys, and more than 400 lakes and many rivers and streams. It even has islands. There are six distinct land regions in Vermont: the Champlain Valley, the Northeast Kingdom, the Vermont Piedmont, the Vermont Valley, the Taconic Range, and the Green Mountains.
The Champlain Valley The Champlain Valley is in the northwestern part of Vermont, between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains. The Champlain Valley has the flattest land in Vermont. In fact, this region is sometimes referred to as the Vermont Lowlands. The lowlands contain excellent soil and are home to many of Vermont’s apple orchards and dairy farms. Corn, hay, oats, and wheat are also grown in this region. Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, is in the Champlain Valley. Many natural regions—undisturbed, protected acres of wetlands, forests, and geological area—exist in and around Burlington. Geologists from all over the world visit the Redstone Quarry Natural Area, which is located within the Burlington city limits. There scientists study ancient rocks, such as red quartzite, that were once on the bottom of shallow ocean that covered this region centuries ago. At the north end of the Champlain Valley, about 27 miles (43 km) from Canada, lies a land chain that includes the Alburg Peninsula (a peninsula is a finger of land surrounded by water on three sides), three large islands—Isle La Motte, North Hero, and Grand Isle—and many smaller ones. These are the Champlain Islands. The largest islands are populated, and their flat land boasts farms, apple orchards, and vineyards. The islands are rich in natural resources, too. Limestone and marble were once taken from island quarries (places where stone is dug or blasted out) and used in constructing everything from simple farmhouses to large buildings in Rockefeller Center, a New York City landmark.
The Northeast Kingdom The Northeast Kingdom covers a very small portion in the northeast corner of the state. Canada is directly to the north and New Hampshire lies to the east. The glaciers that covered the northeastern United States more than 12,000 years ago carved the land in this part of Vermont. This region has rounded, rolling hills and many forests. The mountains in the Northeast Kingdom are not as high as those in other parts of the state. Exceptions are Jay Peak and Burke Mountain, two popular ski areas in this region. The mountains in the Northeast Kingdom are made primarily of granite. About 117 square miles (303 square kilometers) of the Northeast Kingdom is public forest and park land. More than 1,000 additional square miles (2,590 sq km) are privately owned. Some areas have no roads because the terrain is so rugged, but much of this region can be explored on hiking and biking trails as well as by snowmobile. In the past, large paper manufacturers owned timberlands in the Northeast Kingdom. Logging was once big business here. Today, many paper manufacturers have left Vermont, and the land they once logged in being conserved, or protected. The many lakes, streams, and rivers make this part of Vermont a good place to hunt and fish. Deer and black bear are common, as well as salmon and lake trout.
Vermont Piedmont
The area south of the Northeast Kingdom and east of the Green Mountains is called the Vermont Piedmont. This is the state’s largest geographic region. Piedmont means “foot of the mountains” in French, so it is an appropriate name for this region, which lies at the foot of the Green Mountains. The land in the Vermont Piedmont slopes down from the Green Mountains, forming rolling hills to the terraces or slopes along the Connecticut River. A lake covered this region after the glaciers melted and receded, forming these steps in the land. This region contains some of the best farmland in Vermont. There are dairy farms, fruit farms, and even llama farms. Many farms also have sugarhouses, where maple syrup is produced from the sugar maples that grow there. The Connecticut River meets the West River near the largest town in Vermont, Brattleboro. Brattleboro is close to the mountains in all directions. Farmers bring their goods to market in Brattleboro. The lakes, rivers, and marshlands in this part of the state are home to many kinds of animals. Raccoons, otters, and beavers live there. Native peoples settled near the rivers to fish for salmon and shad long before the Europeans explored Vermont.
The Vermont Valley If you think of Vermont as a triangle, the Vermont Valley is at the southern point of the triangle. It is the area south of Brandon, a town in central Vermont, and north of the Massachusetts border. This region is only about 75 miles (121 km) long and is very narrow. In some places, it is less than a mile (1.6 km) wide. The Vermont Valley is made up of small river valleys, such as that of Battenkill River. The Vermont Valley is famous for its marble quarries. The high quality marble found there was used in the construction of the United Nations building in New York City and the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., as well as in many other buildings throughout the United States.
The Taconic Range The Taconic Range extends along the border between Vermont and New York, south of the Champlain Valley and into Massachusetts. The Taconic Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains, which are thought to be the oldest mountains in North America and extend from Canada to northern Alabama. The Taconics were formed more than 400 billion years ago. Because they are so old, the mountains have been worn down by centuries of erosion. Mount Equinox is the Taconics’ tallest peak. It stands 3,816 feet (1,163 meters) above sea level. The Taconics are made up of a variety of rocks such as limestone, marble, and slate. In Bennington, located in the southwest corner of this region, there are large deposits of clay. When the clay is dug up (mined), it is used to make dishes and other pottery products.
The Green Mountains
The Green Mountain chain extends down the middle of Vermont, from Canada in the north to Massachusetts in the south. The Green Mountains are also part of the Appalachians. Granite, marble, and slate are quarried in these mountains. The highest peaks in Vermont are part of the Green Mountains. Five of the peaks are more than 4,000 feet (1,219 m) high. The highest is Mount Mansfield, at 4,393 feet (1,339 m). Killington Peak (4,241 feet/1,293 m); Mount Ellen (4,083 feet/1,245 m); and Camels Hump (4,083 feet/1,245 m) are other high peaks in the Green Mountains. Over the centuries, water and wind have cut through the mountains, forming spectacular gaps and notches, or gorges. Smuggler’s Notch is the most well-known of these notches and is a destination for many visitors to Vermont. Various types of trees such as pine, spruce, beech, and birch grow on the mountainsides. The sugar maple is best known for its sap, which is used to make maple syrup. It is the state tree of Vermont and is very colorful in the autumn. The Green Mountains are known primarily as the heart of Vermont’s tourist industry. More than 300,000 acres in the southern part of this region make up the Green Mountain National Forest. The forest is protected from development and offers year-round activities such as hiking, nature trails, and nature photography. The oldest hiking trail in the country passes the length of the Green Mountains. It is called the Long Trail and is 265 miles (426 km) long. Many ski centers are located in the Green Mountains. Killington, the second highest mountain in Vermont, has the largest ski resort in the east. Other popular resorts include Stowe, Sugarbush, and Pico.
Vermont is in the northeastern part of the United States. New Hampshire borders Vermont to the east, Massachusetts is to the south, and New York lies to the west. Another country, Canada, borders Vermont to the north. Part of the border Vermont shares with New York lies in the middle of Lake Champlain, with half of the lake belonging to each state. The Connecticut River forms Vermont’s border with New Hampshire. Vermont is the only New England state without an ocean border.
If you look at Vermont on a map, you will see it is roughly triangular in shape. The state is 157 miles (253 kilometers) long. At the Canadian border it is 90 miles (145 km) wide. The southern “point” of the triangle is the Massachusetts border, which is only 42 miles (68 km) wide.
Vermont’s land has changed over the centuries due to glaciers, or huge sheets of ice, covering it and then slowly melting and receding. The Green Mountains were probably much higher before the glaciers wore them down more than 10,000 years ago.
Today Vermont’s landscape is incredibly varied. It has tall mountains and lush valleys, and more than 400 lakes and many rivers and streams. It even has islands. There are six distinct land regions in Vermont: the Champlain Valley, the Northeast Kingdom, the Vermont Piedmont, the Vermont Valley, the Taconic Range, and the Green Mountains.
The Champlain Valley
The Champlain Valley is in the northwestern part of Vermont, between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains. The Champlain Valley has the flattest land in Vermont. In fact, this region is sometimes referred to as the Vermont Lowlands. The lowlands contain excellent soil and are home to many of Vermont’s apple orchards and dairy farms. Corn, hay, oats, and wheat are also grown in this region.
Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, is in the Champlain Valley. Many natural regions—undisturbed, protected acres of wetlands, forests, and geological area—exist in and around Burlington. Geologists from all over the world visit the Redstone Quarry Natural Area, which is located within the Burlington city limits. There scientists study ancient rocks, such as red quartzite, that were once on the bottom of shallow ocean that covered this region centuries ago.
At the north end of the Champlain Valley, about 27 miles (43 km) from Canada, lies a land chain that includes the Alburg Peninsula (a peninsula is a finger of land surrounded by water on three sides), three large islands—Isle La Motte, North Hero, and Grand Isle—and many smaller ones. These are the Champlain Islands. The largest islands are populated, and their flat land boasts farms, apple orchards, and vineyards. The islands are rich in natural resources, too. Limestone and marble were once taken from island quarries (places where stone is dug or blasted out) and used in constructing everything from simple farmhouses to large buildings in Rockefeller Center, a New York City landmark.
The Northeast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom covers a very small portion in the northeast corner of the state. Canada is directly to the north and New Hampshire lies to the east. The glaciers that covered the northeastern United States more than 12,000 years ago carved the land in this part of Vermont. This region has rounded, rolling hills and many forests. The mountains in the Northeast Kingdom are not as high as those in other parts of the state. Exceptions are Jay Peak and Burke Mountain, two popular ski areas in this region. The mountains in the Northeast Kingdom are made primarily of granite.
About 117 square miles (303 square kilometers) of the Northeast Kingdom is public forest and park land. More than 1,000 additional square miles (2,590 sq km) are privately owned. Some areas have no roads because the terrain is so rugged, but much of this region can be explored on hiking and biking trails as well as by snowmobile.
In the past, large paper manufacturers owned timberlands in the Northeast Kingdom. Logging was once big business here. Today, many paper manufacturers have left Vermont, and the land they once logged in being conserved, or protected.
The many lakes, streams, and rivers make this part of Vermont a good place to hunt and fish. Deer and black bear are common, as well as salmon and lake trout.
Vermont Piedmont
The area south of the Northeast Kingdom and east of the Green Mountains is called the Vermont Piedmont. This is the state’s largest geographic region. Piedmont means “foot of the mountains” in French, so it is an appropriate name for this region, which lies at the foot of the Green Mountains.
The land in the Vermont Piedmont slopes down from the Green Mountains, forming rolling hills to the terraces or slopes along the Connecticut River. A lake covered this region after the glaciers melted and receded, forming these steps in the land.
This region contains some of the best farmland in Vermont. There are dairy farms, fruit farms, and even llama farms. Many farms also have sugarhouses, where maple syrup is produced from the sugar maples that grow there.
The Connecticut River meets the West River near the largest town in Vermont, Brattleboro. Brattleboro is close to the mountains in all directions. Farmers bring their goods to market in Brattleboro.
The lakes, rivers, and marshlands in this part of the state are home to many kinds of animals. Raccoons, otters, and beavers live there. Native peoples settled near the rivers to fish for salmon and shad long before the Europeans explored Vermont.
The Vermont Valley
If you think of Vermont as a triangle, the Vermont Valley is at the southern point of the triangle. It is the area south of Brandon, a town in central Vermont, and north of the Massachusetts border. This region is only about 75 miles (121 km) long and is very narrow. In some places, it is less than a mile (1.6 km) wide. The Vermont Valley is made up of small river valleys, such as that of Battenkill River.
The Vermont Valley is famous for its marble quarries. The high quality marble found there was used in the construction of the United Nations building in New York City and the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., as well as in many other buildings throughout the United States.
The Taconic Range
The Taconic Range extends along the border between Vermont and New York, south of the Champlain Valley and into Massachusetts. The Taconic Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains, which are thought to be the oldest mountains in North America and extend from Canada to northern Alabama. The Taconics were formed more than 400 billion years ago. Because they are so old, the mountains have been worn down by centuries of erosion. Mount Equinox is the Taconics’ tallest peak. It stands 3,816 feet (1,163 meters) above sea level.
The Taconics are made up of a variety of rocks such as limestone, marble, and slate. In Bennington, located in the southwest corner of this region, there are large deposits of clay. When the clay is dug up (mined), it is used to make dishes and other pottery products.
The Green Mountains
The Green Mountain chain extends down the middle of Vermont, from Canada in the north to Massachusetts in the south. The Green Mountains are also part of the Appalachians. Granite, marble, and slate are quarried in these mountains.
The highest peaks in Vermont are part of the Green Mountains. Five of the peaks are more than 4,000 feet (1,219 m) high. The highest is Mount Mansfield, at 4,393 feet (1,339 m). Killington Peak (4,241 feet/1,293 m); Mount Ellen (4,083 feet/1,245 m); and Camels Hump (4,083 feet/1,245 m) are other high peaks in the Green Mountains. Over the centuries, water and wind have cut through the mountains, forming spectacular gaps and notches, or gorges. Smuggler’s Notch is the most well-known of these notches and is a destination for many visitors to Vermont.
Various types of trees such as pine, spruce, beech, and birch grow on the mountainsides. The sugar maple is best known for its sap, which is used to make maple syrup. It is the state tree of Vermont and is very colorful in the autumn.
The Green Mountains are known primarily as the heart of Vermont’s tourist industry. More than 300,000 acres in the southern part of this region make up the Green Mountain National Forest. The forest is protected from development and offers year-round activities such as hiking, nature trails, and nature photography. The oldest hiking trail in the country passes the length of the Green Mountains. It is called the Long Trail and is 265 miles (426 km) long.
Many ski centers are located in the Green Mountains. Killington, the second highest mountain in Vermont, has the largest ski resort in the east. Other popular resorts include Stowe, Sugarbush, and Pico.
Information included from:
Vermont From Sea to Shining Sea by Jan M. Czech